What's Your Fave Scrappy Tool?

The new challenge is up at Fave Things, and it's all about scrapping your favorite creative tool! So, what's yours??? Mine is PAINT...
I had so much fun making this layout because I absolutely used just what I had on hand. The kraft paper in the background was the paper on my scrap desk, used to catch all my paint splatters. And the hearts were cut from a piece of watercolor scrap where I had tested my new watercolors to see how they would look painted over white crayon. As you can tell, I can't bear to throw any painted scraps away!

I also grabbed a tube of gouache that I just finished and pasted it right on the page...
That tube of gouache is at least 20 years old - no lie! I bought a bunch of tubes in college and they lasted this long! With that much history I just couldn't throw it away!

Come on over to the Fave Things blog and play along with us! Show us what your fave scrappy tool is! Click here to go to the challenge!

I've been sprucing up my art journaling tools in preparation for 21 Secrets, which starts tomorrow! I hope I see some of you over there - that would be totally fun!

One More List...

Tuesday's subject at 30 Days of Lists, was "Favorite Foods." That was an easy one!
The photo of the cute little bird was taken one time a few years back, when my mom and I were sitting at an outdoor cafe. I just thought he was so cute, and I've been waiting for a chance to use him - Fave Foods seemed like a good opportunity! Here are links to some of my fave foods:

Pizza Luce (best vegan pizza ever! My fave is the Little Gracie)
Hummus - (my fave brand is Sabra)
Edy's Frozen Fruit Bars (Love them all, but Pomegranite and Tangerine are the best!)
Clif Bars (Love them all!)

Only two more days til 21 Secrets! Yeayyy!

Thanks for visiting and I will see you again soon! Have an awesome Wednesday my friends!

A Couple of List Catch-Up Pages...

I'm wayyy behind on the 30 Days of Lists challenge, but I did do a couple more pages tonight. The first one is Prompt #27: Vacations to Take...
I tried to stick to places I've never been, but I just had to include Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. Renee and I went there about 7 years ago, and it was so amazing, I really want to go back again someday. The rest are places I've had on my mind for awhile - some longer than others.


The second page is from Prompt #26 - Books I'd like to read this year...
I only included the three that I recently bought. If I get through those three, it will be more books than I have read in the last eight years or so. I used to be a big reader, but I lost my ability to focus on books when I went through my divorce, and I never got it back. I think my mom is watching over me, because suddenly now, I can read again. Mom was a big reader. I may have mentioned this already, but I will say it again, because it really is amazing to me.


I will leave you with my latest photo of the boys in the scraproom. I love their perky little ears...

The "Closer to Fine" slideshow is up at Scrapping The Music, and it looks fabulous! Click here to check it out!

Only 3 more days til 21 Secrets starts! I'm getting so excited!!!

Thanks for visiting and I will see you again soon!

Time to Start Another New Journal...

I finished my Pre-Smashbook Smashbook, and so it was time to start another journal for my daily writing. I've been inspired by Rebecca Horwood's journals lately (click here to be inspired too!), so I decided to try something with a similar, grid-like format. I'm using an 8 1/2 x 11 Canson Sketchbook. The pages are beautifully thick and perfect for writing on with no show-thru. Here's how it's shaping up so far (click image to see details)...
It's fun to play with this format, kinda like putting a puzzle together. I'm using a suggestion from my Life's Companion book, to make a collage at the beginning of each volume of your journal, with a current photo of yourself, and stuff that is going on in your life and the world at that moment in time. I think I will do this at the beginning of each month.

(Bookplate and Calendar Card are free downloads)




I also made another journal for collage (to replace the one I sent away for the Scrapbook Soup episode). The glue is still drying so I will share that one with you next time!


Thanks so much for visiting! I will be back soon with another update!

Big News and a Friday Update....

Hi everyone! I've got big news to share! One of my journals is going to be on TV!!! This one to be exact...
If you read Julie Fei-Fan Balzer's blog, you probably already know that she is going to be hosting a new TV show on PBS this fall, called Scrapbook Soup. She recently asked for submissions for the show that used specific techniques, one of which was "sewing pattern tissue." I submitted my journal cover and she accepted it! Yeayyy!!! My little journal is now making its way across the country to the PBS TV station, and I have sent a tutorial to Julie which will appear on her blog when the episode airs. Now the hard part will be waiting til fall to see the show! I will keep you posted as I find out more details! Thanks Julie for the opportunity!!! and thanks everyone for letting me share my big news!!! I'm so excited about it!!!

In other news, Happy Mail has once again arrived at the Rydell household. Johnny saw it and claimed it as his own immediately. He recognizes those packages by now, and knows that fun is on the way...

We always open the packages together and both the cats love to investigate all the pieces. This box held the newest Noel Mignon kit called "Jump and Jive." Here are the contents in all their glory (click for a more detailed view)...
I also got a "Sew Easy" tool and an extra blanket stitch head. Can't wait to try them out!

Oh, and I finished my "Urban Journal!" I just love it in all it's grunginess! Here's how it turned out...

I developed my own closure for it so I will be able to keep it shut as it fills up. I used an old button and some vintagey lace that has a little bit of stretch to it...

Here's more shots of the journal. My favorite thing about it is it gives me a way to bind single-pages, which is going to come in handy a lot in the future...

P.S. I think it will go nicely with the Nancy Drew journal that Renee gave me...


and yes, I wrote journal upside down by accident. Ha. Oh well, it just adds to the charm - at least that's my story and I'm sticking to it...

If you want to check out the Urban Journal Class, click here. It's alot of fun and it didn't take me long to complete the journal at all!

Thanks so much for visiting!!!

Greetings from Snuggleville...

We are having another winter storm, and the boys are all snuggled in. I never get tired of how sweet they look all cuddled up together...



I finished making my "Daily Junque" journal (from the Archiver's class). I put my own twist on it by changing some of the embellies and redoing the cover. I decided to make this one about things I would tell my younger self...
I added some things from my Noel Mignon Playdate kit. I will share the insides as I finish the pages. First I have to think of 10 Things I would tell my younger self. I can think of quite a few off the top of my head! What would you tell your younger self if you could?

P.S. We used the Daily Junque line from Pink Paislee in the class and it is sooooo AWESOME. Check the whole line out here. And if you want to get the kit to make the journal above, they are selling it here.


Here's a sneek peak at what I'm working on now. Its an "Urban Journal..."

Thanks for visiting and for your comments! I really appreciate them!

I will be back tomorrow to share some news that I am really excited about!

Soul Journal Tape Page...

Thank you for your kind comments about my tribute to my mom. It really means a lot to me to be able to share my memories with all of you. I hope your Saint Patty's Day was wonderful!

I finished another page in my Soul Journal. I am finding this journal so freeing to work in. The prompts were to use tape for a background; and then to make copies of previously done journal pages, and use pieces of them on a new page.

Here's how the prompts turned out...

Then I just kept adding stuff to it here and there; and finished it with a quote from Mother Teresa that I saw yesterday and thought was really beautiful. Here's the final page...


I signed up for another art journaling class by Sarah Whitmire (the author of the Soul Journaling prompts). It's called "Jet Set Journaling" and is about art journaling on the go. I'm excited to make up a new travel journaling kit. I will be sure to post about it when I get it all set.

I received my three journaling books from Amazon today. They all look good, but the one I am going to read first is this one:

Life's Companion
by Christina Baldwin

It captured my attention immediately, and I'm really looking forward to delving into it further. I will keep you posted on how it goes.

That's it for today! Thanks so much for visiting and I will see you again soon!

A Saint Patrick's Day Tribute...

Today is my mom's birthday. She would have been 78. I've been wanting to do a tribute to her, and I thought today would be a good day for that. I want to tell you a little bit about the person my mom was.

My mom was named Patty because she was born on Saint Patrick's Day. How neat is that?

(Mom & Me circa 1961)

My mom was the kind of person that made friends with everyone, and once you were her friend, you were her friend for life. She taught me a lot about loyalty.

Circa 1969

She was a beautiful woman, and very stylish. As a teenager, I always liked to borrow her clothes and jewelry...

(Renee, Mom & Me circa 1976)

Mom was a believer in women's rights. She was a big fan of Gloria Steinem. She went through a painful divorce from my Dad when I was 15, and after that, she was a very independent woman for many years. I always remember her wearing a t-shirt that said "A woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle!" HA. She taught me to stand on my own two feet. She taught me to make my own way in the world.

In 1985, she got a chance to move to California for her job. It was a chance for a fresh start. I was sad to see her and Renee go, but so happy for her to have a new adventure, a new chapter in her life. She was my inspiration to never be afraid to try something new. To take a risk.

In 1987 she met Elmer. The two of them were perfect for each other. They got married, and started going on adventures together...

(Mom & Elmer circa 2004)

They used to spend their summers here in Minnesota, and their winters in California...

(Mom & Elmer circa 2005)

My mom was there for me through all of my ups and downs. She was a wonderful mother and friend...
When Elmer got sick, she was there for him too. A committed caregiver, she never left his side. Renee and I tried to get her to take a break once in awhile and go do something for herself but she refused. She was right where she wanted to be she said. She taught me alot about love.

Elmer passed away in April of last year after a four-year illness. She was alone again. Lonely, but resilient. We talked every evening on the phone. As the days and months went by, she started to make new friends, started a new exercise program, and her social calendar got busier and busier. She was very active with her church. She even made plans to go back to college. It made me feel so good that she was doing well and was happy again. She taught me alot about strength. She taught me alot about cherishing every moment.

Mom and Michael's Mom Sue this past summer (2010).

My mom volunteered regularly at her local soup kitchen. She was part of a "prayer shawl ministry" through her church. She would knit shawls and they would be given to people who were going through a hard time in life, to give them some comfort. She also was part of a group that got together regularly and made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the homeless. She taught me a lot about being a giving person.


My mom always had a smile and a kind word to share.

She was my inspiration.

She always will be.
Happy Birthday Mom. I love and miss you. You've been gone for two months now, but you will always live in my heart.

Thanks so much for visiting. I really appreciate it! I will be back tomorrow with some new artwork to share.

Closer to Fine at Scrapping The Music...

Hi everyone! The new challenge at Scrapping the Music is "Closer to Fine" by the Indigo Girls! This song has such great lyrics. I did an art journal page, and here's how it turned out...

I experimented with layers on this one. Here's what I used (in order)...

acrylic paint
journaling
more acrylic paint
stamps
spray ink
collage magazine images and dictionary paper
masking tape with lyric stamped onto it
doodling
self-portrait photo

Come on over and play along with us! Make anything you want - just let the song inspire you! Click here to go to the challenge!

There's also a new challenge up at the Fave Things blog! This time it's to "scrap your favorite pastime!" Should be fun! Click here to go to the Fave Things challenge!

Last but not least, I finished another page for the "30 Days of Lists" challenge...

That's all for today. Thanks for visiting and I will see you again soon!

Wrapped Tape Binding and more Soul Journaling...

I took LK Ludwig's "Just Three Journals" workshop back in November, and loved it; although I hadn't gotten up the nerve to try binding my journal until last night. I made the cover and pages, but I was a bit intimidated by what looked like some intricate sewing. I'm happy to say that I tried it last night and it wasn't hard at all! I finished the whole thing and am so happy with my new journal! Here's how it turned out...
For the cover I covered plain chipboard with a few layers of sewing patterns. Then some gesso circles and a painted flower.


The inner pages were torn from big sheets of Stonehenge paper, and painted individually before binding.

and here's the binding. It's called "Wrapped Straps..."
I have an idea of how I am going to fill it - I will let you know if it works out once I try it. LK Ludwig is having a big sale on her classes right now. If you are interested check it out here.


Here's another page in my Soul Journal. It's not finished yet. I'm letting it simmer. There's journaling covered by tape covered by paint with cut up copies of my older journal pages...

Monday the new 21 Secrets Workshop goes on sale. It looks awesome! Check it out here.

Thanks for visiting!

Still Going...

I don't mind telling you that scrapbooking is really hard right now. I start looking through my photos and my mom is everywhere - I really miss her. I'm so glad I've got those photos, and the memories to go along with them, but scrapping will have to wait awhile I guess.

Journaling, however, is keeping me going. It keeps my mind busy and the prompts keep me creating, which is so helpful. I've got a few new pages that I'm excited to share with you!

Here's another page from the "30 Days Of Lists" prompts...

What's In My Bag

I didn't realize I had so many packs of gum in there - LOL.


and a few pages in my "Good Things Daily" journal...
(the business card flips open and there is journaling behind it)


does anybody recognize that tape with the Q's on it? It's from Quizno's sandwich shop, which is where we had lunch! Who knew that they had their own deco-tape? I just had to use it of course!

This was a truly exciting find at the consignment store!

Thanks for the advice about the books and classes from my last post! I just ordered all three books!!! HA. I couldn't decide. And I think I am actually going to take both classes too! I will probably sign up in the next day or two. I will let you know how it all goes...

Thanks for visiting and I will see you again soon!

Another List Page...

I'm skipping around in the order of the "30 Days of Lists," trying to do the current ones, and still make up the old ones. Here's the one from yesterday...

If you want to get in on the 30 days of lists challenge, click here!

In the past couple of days, I've started surfing around the internet, looking for either a book to buy or a class to take that will focus on writing in a fun way. There are some really fun-sounding options out there. Here are the classes I'm considering:

True Stories (instructor: Shimelle Laine)

Just Curious (instructor: Tami Morrison)

And here are the books that look fun:

How to Be An Explorer of the World (by Keri Smith)
Life's Companion: Journal Writing as a Spiritual Quest (by Christina Baldwin)
A Writer's Book of Days (by Judy Reeves)

Have you read any of these books or taken either of these classes? I'd love to know what you think if you did!

Thanks for visiting and I will see you soon!

30 Days of Lists...

I found a new journaling challenge that's really fun! It's called "30 Days of Lists." Every day in March, they are putting up a new "list" prompt, and you can do your list anyway you want. I decided to do my lists in my Nancy Drew journal - remember this? It's the journal my sister Renee made for me for Christmas. She painted the pages for me and everything - it's just beautiful...

I'm a little behind since I just discovered it, but I did the first couple of lists this weekend...

List #1 "A Few Things About Myself..."

I tried to put a few things in there that I haven't already listed in other places a billion times. More like quirky little things.

List #2: "Things I'm Good At..."

This one was hard for some reason. There are a lot of things that are important to me, but I don't necessarily think I'm good at - you know what I mean? Anyhoo, if you want to check it out, here's a link to the challenge. I think it's a fun one!


I also finished my third "Collage Potpourri" experiment in my Soul Journal...

Oh, and also - right now, Julie Fei-Fan Balzer is teaching a free class on making a travel journal over at the Live With Prima site. The class will be archived, so even if you read this later, you should still be able to watch it. Julie's classes are always fun and laid back. Check it out here.

Thanks for visiting and I will see you again soon with another update!